Checking apparatus for restaurants or the like.



Patented Dec. 2, I902.

A. NELSON.

CHECKING APPARATUS FOR RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1902.: (No Model.)

4Sheets-Sheet l.

INVENTOR! WM- PVJTNESSES m4 an; M. m)

ATTORNEY.

s 0%. f i? 1' olms mus co. Wmoumo WASHINGYON D c Patented Dec. .2. I902.

, A. uusnn.

CHECKING APPARATUS FOR RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE.

(Application film] Mar. 31, 190:1.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(no IndeL) mm @Q w- A w Q mm w WITNESSES.-

INVENTOR. W M,

A T T ORNE Y.

Patented Dec. 2 I902.

A. NELSON. CHECKING APPARATUS FOR RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE.

Application filed Mar. 31, 1902.)

4 Sheets-sheaf- 3.

(No Model.)

JNVENTOR 3m; 1. ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

m: Norms PETERS co, vuorom'mwwnnmmou. 0.1:,

Patented Dec. 2, I902.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

INVENTOR.

Arromvix I I 1 I I 1 I I I I I 1 l n. I

A. NELSON.

CHECKING APPARATUS FOR RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE.-

(Application filed Mar. 31, 1902.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIGE.

ALBERT NELSON, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CHECKING APPARATUS FOR RESTAURANTS OR THE LIKE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. '71 5,122, datedDecember 2, 1902.

Application filed March 31,1902. Serial No. 101,516. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT NELSON, a subject of the King of Sweden andNorway, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco andState of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Checking Apparatus for Restaurants or the Like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an apparatus for controllingthe payment ofchecks or moneytokensfor restaurants or in similar places, the object ofmy invention being to provide an apparatus of this character by means ofwhich payment for articles passed out of a restaurant-kitchen or otherplace may be checked and controlled, so as to prevent fraud on the partof the employees in receiving such articles by avoiding payment of thesame or by paying smaller amounts than are due.

It is my object to provide an apparatus of this character by means ofwhich notice shall be given to the proprietor or manager of theestablishment when a waiter or other employee makes such a payment,whereupon such proprietor or manager shall be afforded an opportunity ofreadily inspecting the amount of such payment before it is deposited inthe receptacle therefor, which shall permit of the proprietor or managerreadily ascertaining, at any time the total amount paid in by the waiteror other employee and which shall be cheap and simple in constructionand not liable to get out of order.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective rear View of myimproved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a broken plan View of the same. Fig. 3 isa vertical transverse section of the same. Fig. 8 is a detail showingthe catch for holding down the cover. Fig. 4 is an enlarged verticaldetail section. Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section.Fig. 6 is a broken vertical transverse section showing a modified formof the invention. Fig. 7 is a broken bottom plan detail view of saidmodification. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view of a further modification.Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the latter after the key has beenoperated. Fig. 10 is a detail of the spacing-strip, and Figs. 11 and 12are views of opposite sides of a starter-check.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents an oblong box, in which slides adrawer 2, provided with a lock 3, looking into the cover 4. Said coveris hinged, as shown at 5, to the front side of the box and when closedis held down by means of spring-catches 6 at the ends thereof, as shownin Figs. 3 and 3 In said cover is formed a longitudinal series of slots7 in line with each other, and upon the top of the cover between saidslots are erected spacing-strips 8. Said strips are secured upon saidcover by their ends being split or sawed down to a suitable distance,said ends 9 being bent at right angles to said strips and soldered tothe top of the cover, as shown in Figs. 4 and 10. Upon said extendedends are now laid two sheets of glass 10, one on each side of thestrips. Upon the upper edges of said sheets of glass are top plates 11,rabbeted on their under sides to rest upon the glass, and said topplates are secured together by means of screws 12 passed therethroughand through the upper ends of the spacing-strips 8. Around the ends ofthe sheets of glass are secured channel-pieces 13, and against the loweredges of said sheets of glass and over the bent ends 9 of thespacingstrips are foot-plates 14, soldered onto said cover. The innersides of the top plates are beveled or converge inwardly, as likewisewith the edges of the upper ends of the'spacingstrips, thereby formingconvenient months 15 forinserting checks 16 in the chutes 17, formed bythe strips of glass and spacing strips. Said checks 16 are of uniformdiameter, substantially of the width of the chutes 17, and representdifferent denominations of money, being stamped out, as shown at 19, todistinguish the different denominations from each other. They may alsobe varied in peripheral configuration. They may also be stamped with aname to designate the restaurant or other places for which they are tobe used. When the waiter fills an order from the kitchen, he will handto the checker or person having charge of the apparatus the propernumber of checks, and the checker will thereupon deposit them in thechute designated by the waiters number, marked on the outside of themouth of the chute, as-shown at 20, or the waiter may himself depositsaid checks in the chute. Said checks deposited in said chute by thewaiter fall to the bottom thereof and rest upon a slide 21, the rear endof which is bent around to form a knuckle 22, having a pin 23 therein,which works in a slot 24 in the arm of a bell-crank lever 25, pivoted ina hanger 26, supported upon a plate 27, the other arm of said leverhaving a slot 28, which engages a pin 29 in the lower end of a stem 30of a finger-key, normally pressed upward by means of a spring 31,secured, as shown at 32, on said plate 27. The plate 27 slides in guidesformed by the underhanging portions of transverse strips 33, extendingacross the under side of the cover, so that the plate 27 can be readilyinserted and withdrawn, carrying with it the principal part of themechanism for the corresponding chute. Afterthe plate 27 is inserted thestem 30 is inserted through the top and is withdrawn before withdrawingthe plate. The slide 21, which closes the slot 7, moves in guides 34,formed by short pieces 35, soldered onto the under side of saidtransverse strips 33. Thus after the checks have been deposited in thechute and the checker or other person having charge of the apparatusdepresses the stem 30, thereby moving said slide rearwardly, the checksare allowed to drop from the chute into a box directly underneath, therebeing one such box for every chute, said boxes being contained withinsaid drawer and separated from each other by low transverse walls orpartitions 75 therein.

In the front portion of the box I provide means whereby when a key isdepressed in order to permit the checks to fall into the correspondingbox a bell 36 is rung in the apparatus, and I also provide anannunciator 37 at a distant point having a series of indicators 38,corresponding with the keys of the apparatus and operated like those ofhotelannunciators. For this purpose a wire 40 runs from one pole of thecell 41 to the electromagnets 42 of the electric bell 36, passing aroundsaid magnets to the hammer 43 of said bell, thence through said hammerto the terminal of a wire 44, which runs along the front side of the boxthe whole length thereof, from which extend branch wires 45 to theseveral magnets of the annunciator 37, returning by wires 46 to slidingcontacts 47, carried by the slides 21, which when the slot is open comeinto contact with fixed contacts 48, connected by wires 49 with a secondwire 50, running the whole length of the front of the box and connectedwith the other pole of the cell. Thus when any key is depressed thecircuit is closed between the fixed contact 48 and the sliding contact47, corresponding to that key, the bell 36 in the box is rung, and atthe same time the indicator of the annunciator is operated correspondingto said key. The person having charge of the apparatus will, however,not at once depress the key and allow the checks to drop into the box,but they will remain in said chute until the waiter returns with asucceeding order. They will thus for a considerable time be in plainView of the proprietor or manager of the restaurant, who can at a glancein passing the apparatus notice the amount of the order as representedby the checks paid in by the waiter and observe whether said amountagrees with the quantity of food taken from the kitchen. When the waiterreturns with another order, the person having charge of the apparatuswill then depress the corresponding key, permitting the checks of theprevious order to drop into the box, and at the same time ringing a belland causing the annunciator having the number of that waiter thereon tobe actuated. The annunciator will be placed in a position convenient forobservation by the proprietor or manager, who will thus, when a waitercomes from the kitchen with an order, see whether said checker or waiterhas dropped checks into the chute. The waiter will have to wait untilthe checks for the previous order have been dropped into the box beforedropping the succeeding checks, and when that is done a bell is rung andthe annunciator is operated. At any time the manager can unlock thedrawer and remove the boxes for the several Waiters, which boxes will benumbered, and count the checks therein, and the waiters will be expectedto pay a total amount of money represented by the total of the checks inthe box, or at the beginning of the day each waiter will be suppliedwith checks to a certain Valuesay twenty dollars-and will pay for thesame in money, and at the end of the day will be expected to present thebalance of the checks and will be paid therefor the correspondingbalance in money. When the manager has removed the checks from the boxand desires to arrange the ap paratus for use for the next day, he willfirst deposit in the bottom of the chute of each waiter who is to be onduty the next day a check which may be termed a starter, (shown indetail at 51,) which check will indicate on one side the time at whichthe waiter goes off duty and on the other side the time when the waitercomes on duty. Said startercheck will remain in the bottom of the chutewith the side toward the checker which has marked thereon the words Offduty, which words facing the checker will prevent him depressing thekeyof said chute by mistake for thatotanot'nerwaiter. Said checkwill remainin the bottom of the chute until the waiter brings his first order, whenthe person having charge of the apparatus will depress the key,permitting the starter-check to drop from the chute and ring the belland operate the annunciator. If certain chutes and the correspondingkeys are not to be used, the manager can prevent this for any key byturning beneath the stem of said key a bent stop 53, pivoted at 54 tothe slide-plate 27. When the key is to be operated, the stop will beremoved from beneath the key.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 7 no slides 27 are used; butslides 55 to close the slots are used which move in guides 56,

secured upon the under side of the cover, said slides 55 being bent intoa U-shaped form heneath the keys and having slots 57 therein, throughwhich pass vertical wedges 58, attached to the lower ends of the stems.The depression of any key thus moves its slide 55 rearwardly and opensthe slot. A spring 59 retracts said slide 55 to its normal position,closing said slot. The manager can readily prevent any key from beingoperated by shifting a locking-plate 60 upon said U-shaped portion ofthe slide 55 until it comes underneath the slot in which said wedge 58works, thereby preventing the depression of said wedge through saidslot.

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 the stem 61 operateshorizontally through the rear side of the box instead of verticallythrough the cover th ereot',and when pushed in a swinging shutter 62opensthe slot. A spring 63 pushes back said stem. In this modification64 65 are the electric wires, the wire 64 connected to a spring-contact66 and the wire 65 to the shutter 62 through the plate 67.

This apparatus can be used in other places than restaurantsas, forinstance, in barbershops, beer-saloons, cigar-counters, 850. By usingnine chutes of different widths and thicknesses, corresponding with theUnited States coins, and a single stop for all the chutes the device canbe adopted to be used with metallic currency and to indicate the amountof the last sale made.

This system of checkingis very simple and efiect-ive and is especiallyadapted for hotels, restaurants, cafs, 850.; also, for barber-shops orany commercial business where a strict system of checking is required.For instance, as an example, in a restaurant on the European plan, Wherean itemized bill is used, to be paid by the waiter or guest at thecashiers desk, a separate and complete control can be kept upon allorders received by Waiters from each department, kitchen, bar, orcigarcounter. In a place of this kind where eight waiters are employedan apparatus with eight chutes is required. When a waiter comes on duty,he will report at the oifice and will receive from the proprietor ormanager his number (badge) and a check-book with the same waiters numberon each and every check issued to him; also, he will receive a certainamount of checks, sufficient to readily make his own change when payingfor his order. Thus, for instance, when waiter No. 1 comes on duty andreports at office he will receive his badge, check book, and, say,twenty dollars in checks, for which he will sign a receipt and be heldresponsible. The

proprietor or manager will immediately upon such issue proceed to theapparatus, see that the starter 51 is in its proper place, left therefrom the previous day, when said waiter No. 1 went off duty, and willalso unlock the drawer 2 in the box 1 and will push back the stop 53,whereby key N o. 1 will be ready to operate, and waiter No. 1 is readyfor business. "When waiter No. 1 has an order to be filled from, say,the kitchen, he will stop at the outside of desk upon which the apparatus is placed. The person having charge of the apparatus (commonlycalled the kitchenchecker) will inspect and sum up the prices of thedishes on that waiters tray, call out the total amount of saiddishes-for instance, one dollar and fifty centspress key No. 1,whereupon the starter, if it is that waiters first order or, otherwise,a previous order,will drop into box No. 1. The bell will ring in theapparatus, and the annunciator will operate, showing said waitersnumber, 1. The total amount-one dollar and fiftycents can with safety bedeposited in the chute by the waiter or handed to the checker, who willdrop the same into chute No. 1 in presence of the said waiter, where itwill remain in full view until said waiter fills a succeeding order.Thus the proprietor, manager, or head-waiter can keep a strict controlupon the doings of any and all waiters or other employees in theirservice. For instance, supposing that the bell has rung and that WaiterNo. 1 has brought a tray with several orders thereon into thedining-room from the kitchen, by a passingglance the proprietor ormanager knows the total amount of these orders to be, say, one dollarand fifty cents, and another passing glance at chute No. 1 in theapparatus will decide Whether waiter No. ls last orders were correct ornot. Thus at any time during business hours or at the end of each daybefore the waiters go off duty their accounts can readily be made out.For instance, at any time during business hours the checks of waiter No.1 in the apparatus can be counted and their total amount compared by thechecks or bills of said Waiter No. 1 on file paid in at the cashiersdesk; and when waiter No. 1 is off duty he will report at the office,turn in his check-book, badge, and all unused checks issued to' him, andif found correct his receipt will be returned to him. After this theproprietor or manager will unlock the drawer in the apparatus, take frombox 1 the starter, write on one side the hour off duty, and on the otherside the hour on duty, and drop said starter into chute No. 1 in such amanner that Off duty on said starter is toward the checker or person incharge of the apparatus. The proprietor will also push the l stop 53 toobstruct the finger-key No. 1 and lock the drawer. This will prevent thechecker from operating said key No. 1; and at any time during the day.or after business hours, as the total amounts of all the checks (bills)on file at the cashiers desk must correspond with the total amount incoin in the cashiers cash-drawer, so must also the total amount of thosechecks or bills made out by the waiters, as Well as the total amount ofcoin in the cashiers drawer, correspond with the total amount of all thechecks in the apparatus.

IIO

As another example, in places of amusement, beer-halls, 850., Whererefreshments are served at tables or otherwise by waiters or otheremployees, commonly called extra waiters, generally working in suchplaces on commission, Waiter No. 1 comes to work in such a place andagrees to receive, say, ten per cent. of the gross receipts of his,waiter No. 1s, sale, such a waiter will deposit at the ofiice a statedsumsay, ten dollarsand receive the same amount in checks. When going offduty, said waiter No. 1 will receive his wages or commission accordingto the total amount representing all the checks deposited in box No. 1inside of the apparatus. Thus neither the waiter nor the barkeeperhandle any of proprietors cash or money. Again, for instance, in abarber-shop with eight chairs, where eight barbers are employed and anapparatus of eight chutes is in use, each chair has its number and eachbarber has a number corresponding to the chair he is attending to. Eachbarber is supplied with a certain amount of checks, and each check hasthe same number stamped thereon with the corresponding barbers number.Thus when a patron has been attended to, the barber will hand him acheck representing the total amount of the bill, this check the patronwill pay at the desk, the person in charge of the apparatus will pressNo. 1 key, ringing the bell in apparatus, drop the check or checks intochute with corresponding number as on check and annunciator. Thus therecan be accurately ascertained the total amount of each barbers receipts,and if working on commission their percentage will be according to thereceipts in the respective boxes.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, the combinationof a box having a slotted top, individual chutes on the top of said box,said chutes being open to inspection from the side, individual stops forthe bottoms of the respective chutes, individual compartments below thechutes, and means independent of the articles deposited in the chutesfor removing any stop when desired to permit the articles depositedtherein to drop into the corresponding compartment, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, individual chutes erected on the top of'said box,said chutes having glass sides, individual stops for the bottoms of thechutes, and means independent of the articles deposited in the chutesfor withdrawing any stop when desired, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, individual chutes erected on said box, said chuteshaving glass sides, compart ments in the box for the respective chutes,

removable stops for closing the bottoms of the chutes, an annunciator ata distant point having indicators corresponding to the chutes, and meansfor simultaneously removing the stop of any chute and actuating thecorresponding indicator, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, individual chutes erected on said box, said chutesbeing of uniform diameter throughout and having glass sides, stops forthe bottoms of the chutes,compartments in the box corresponding to thechutes, individual devices for withdrawing said stops to permit articlesto drop from the chutes into the compartments, and means for lockingsaid devices when desired,substan tially as described.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, a drawer therein having separate compartments, anelectric battery and alarm in the front portion of the box, individualchutes erected upon the top of the box, said chutes having glass sides,stops for closing the bottoms of the chutes, individual devices forremoving said stops, an annunciator at adistaut point having indicatorscorresponding to the respective chutes, and contact-points closed by theoperation of removing the stops from the bottom of the chutes, therebyclosing the circuit through the battery, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, chutes erected thereover, said chutes being opento inspection from the side and open at the top to deposit the checksfrom the outside, means for closing the bottoms of said chutes, meansfor removing said closures when desired, and checks suitably marked torepresent different denominations of money in said chutes, said checksbeing of sufficient dimensions relatively to the dimensions of thechutes as to prevent passage of an upper check past a lower check in thesame chute and said chutes being sufficiently tall to hold a pluralityof checks at one time, whereby any desired sum of money may berepresented in any chute by a vertical series of checks therein,substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, chutes erected on the top of said box, said chutesbeing open to inspection from the side, individual means for closing thebottoms of said chutes, and individual means independent of the articlesdeposited in the chutes for removing said closures when desired,substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of a boxhaving a slotted top, spacing-strips erected thereon, glass on each sideof the spacing-strips forming chutes between said strips and glass,means hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

for securing the glass at the top and bottom, means for closing thebottom of the chutes, and individual means independent of the articlesdeposited in the chutes for removing I 5 said closures when desired,substantially as i Witnesses:

ALBERT NELSON.

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, JOHN H. FISHER.

described.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my

